This task links to the Course Assessment Specification (CAS): The legislative branch - the ability to scrutinise the actions of government.

When we talk about scrutiny in relation to the US legislative branch, we often refer to oversight.

Oversight is a word that describes the review and investigations that Congress may undertake to check or scrutinise the actions of the US government.

The main goals of congressional oversight are preventing waste, fraud, and abuse and protecting rights and civil liberties.

Congressional oversight is one of the “implied” powers granted to Congress by the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution.

In empowering the legislative branch of government to oversee the executive branch (the government), congressional oversight forms a key element of the system of checks and balances of power among the three branches of government.

In Congress, oversight comes in many forms including:

• Hearings and investigations conducted by standing or special congressional committees.
• Consulting with or getting reports directly from the president.
• Giving its advice and consent for certain high-level presidential nominations and for treaties.
• Impeachment proceedings conducted in the House and tried in the Senate.
• House and Senate proceedings under the 25th Amendment should the president become disabled or the office of the vice president become vacant.
• Senators and representatives serving on presidentially appointed commissions.
• Special studies conducted by congressional committees and support agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office, the General Accountability Office, the Office of Technology Assessment, and the Congressional Research Service.

You can read more about Congress and oversight from the pdf that is attached to this post.

Your task is to read over the forms of congressional oversight that appear in the bullet pointed list above. Select two forms from the list and find an example of where this has happened in the past 10 years. You may find this website helpful to get you started.

You can upload your findings to your student folder.